VIEWPOINTS: Some work the system instead of working

By SANDY WILLIAMS
He definitely wasn't dressed for an interview. Baggy jeans, a black AC/DC T-shirt, and tattoos covered every inch of exposed skin.

"Well, I'm here. You can take the 'Help Wanted' sign down," he said arrogantly, a cigarette dangling from his lips. With reservations, I asked him a few standard questions and was surprised by his knowledge and employment history. "Can you start tomorrow?" I asked with no hesitation, desperate to fill the vacancy in my small country cafe.

For three weeks, he flipped burgers and washed dishes with a "no worries" attitude. At just 25 years old, he was a walking, fast-talking manual on health-code regulations, and I quickly gave him a pay raise for his excellent work ethic.

Then one morning at 5 o'clock, just 30 minutes before he was supposed to clock in for the second day of his fourth work week, I received a text message from him. "I don't like working every day. Sorry. I quit."

In disbelief, I dialed his number. No answer. No recorded message. He had seemed happy working for me, and I knew for a fact that I was paying him more than any other local restaurant paid its staff. So, why would he quit?

From his first day on the job, I had meant to call his previous employers or check his references, but I just never got around to it. Too late now, but my curiosity got the best of me. Even though it didn't matter at this point, I decided to do what I should have done before hiring the smooth-talking young man.

According to my research, he was famous for "job hopping" and, even though he had never received a high school diploma, fast food wasn't his only specialty. He knew how to work the system.

Sam (not his real name), his three toddlers and their mother live in a three-bedroom, two-bath home paid for each month by the HUD program. Currently, there are 1.2 million people in the United States who live in public housing units paid for by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sam and his "baby mama" have never tied the nuptial knot, and public records show that the couple doesn't even live together even though off the record they do.

The "unmarried" mother and her children receive almost $700 every month in food stamps to buy their groceries. According to the Department of Agriculture, there are almost 40 million Americans using food stamps to feed their families, costing the government an estimated $59 billion each year.

In addition to the food stamps, they are also eligible for monthly WIC vouchers to receive foods such as infant formula, cereal, milk, eggs, cheese, fruit, juices, canned tuna and carrots. Currently, the program lends assistance to more than 9 million people in the United States.

Their monthly utility bill is paid courtesy of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which has a mission to assist low income households primarily in meeting their immediate home energy needs.

Sam's three offspring and their mother are part of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health coverage and services to approximately 49 million low-income women and children. They receive dental and vision care as well as medical visits and prescription medications when needed.

The young family registers each year for the Christmas Coalition program in the county, which provides new clothes and toys for the children courtesy of charitable "Santa Clauses" who are inspired to do their Christian duty each holiday season. With three toddlers in the household and "no" income, they receive a "welfare" check in the mail every month provided by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which is a joint federal-state cash assistance program for low-income families with children. The organization provides assistance to about 1.8 million families each year with a cost of just less than $20 billion a year.

I do realize that some people who receive government aid are, in fact, in dire need of assistance, but welfare fraud is estimated to cost our country billions of dollars each year. Anytime easy money is available, scammers and con artists will try to exploit the system.

While Sam doesn't see the need to work a steady job, a few paychecks every now and then from a fast-food restaurant pays for his cigarettes and a little gas for his old Cadillac. But, I'm not so sure the smart young man won't soon find a way to get our tax dollars to pay for those as well.